Method of making butter tubs and the like



1934- R. J. BURHEN 1,970,278

METHOD OF MAKING BUTTER TUBS ANDTHE LIKE Filed Aug. 18, 1930 I I INVENTOR W B.c/Iflu.rhen

v 7 BY MY 6 ATTORN EY WITNESSES Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED, STATES METHOD or ,MAKING nv'r'rna TUBS AND THE mm Beinhart J. Bur-hen, Cape Girardcau, Mo., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, of one-half to Cape Butter Tub Company, CapeGirardeau,

Mo., a corporation Application August 18, 1930, Serial No. 476,140

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a tub for butter, lard and the like.

A primary object of the invention is to so construct a tub of this character that the contents thereof will be effectively protected against contaminating substances.

Another object is to provide an improved method of making butter tubs and the like insuring a liquid-tight fit between the bottom and the side wall notwithstanding the use of a flexible light weight material for the side wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the character indicated having a flaring or tapering side wall or body portion permitting the nesting of a plurality of containers for shipment and having a bottom wall coacting with the flaring side wall at the lower end thereof in a manner such as to produce a-strong and rugged structure having a tightly sealed bottom eifective to prevent leakage of fluid contents. I

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a wide range of modificationwithout'departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the claimed invention;

there being shown in they drawing for illustrative-purposes a preferred and practical form, in

which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking down on a tub constructed in accordance with this invention; p

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing a slightly different form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the form shown in Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail vertical section showing the connection between the top and tub;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the. connection between the bottom and the body of the tub; and

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment illustrated a butter tub 1 is shown composed of an outer casing 2 of wood or suitable material lined with a non-absorbing lining 3 with which lining the contents of the container contact.

A bottom hoop 4 of metal is shown arranged around the lower end of the-tub and having an inturned flange 5 extending upwardly against the inner face of the lining 3 for a suitable distance and on the edge of which is designed 'to rest bottom 6 of the tub. The bottom 6 is pushed in very tight by hydraulic power and ismade water tight.

The body portion of the tub is preferably made of a single piece of material secured together at its meeting edges by a scarf joint 7, in Fig. 6, and over which joint on the outside of the container is arranged a longitudinally extending strip 8 secured to the tub by riveting or otherwise.

A metal hoop 9 extends around the upper end of the tub and has an inturned flange 10 fitting down over the edge of the tub and on its outside has an inturned flange 11 abutting the outer face of the tub. This metal band 9 is provided at intervals with outstruck peripherally extending cam members 12 with which are'designed to cooperate cam sockets or downwardly and obliquely opening pockets 16 formed in a band 15 carried by theperipheral edge of the top 1'7.

This top band or rim.15 has an inturned flange 18 which is housed in a groove 19 formed in the peripheral edge of top 17 and the body portion of the flange or band depends from the top and there can be no entrance of water at the connection of the top with the tub. The skirt-like flange 15 has an outwardly and upwardlyturned lip 20 which reinforces and strengthens the band.

' A plurality of straps 21 are attached to the top band 9 and-are designed to extend up over the edge of the top '17 when the latter is applied and be secured to said top by nails indicated in dotted lines at 22. After these straps have been so nailed to the top the ends 23 thereof are bent over and cover the nail heads.

The locking cams 12 and 16 carried-by the top and the upper end of the tub are designed to interlockingly engage when the top is turned in one direction and draw the top down on the container and securely hold it while of course it is understood that it may be turned in the oppothe tub.

While a scarf joint is shown connecting the ends of the strip of which the body of the container is formed obviously these ends may be otherwise secured when desired or found necessary to do so.

An important feature of. my invention resides forms a protective skirt for the container so that in the construction of a tub bottom by which advantage is taken of the tapering side wall to produce a strong and rigid structure and to effect a tight seal insuring against the possibility of leakage when the butter is forcibly introduced into the tub in a semi-fluid state. Thus, it will be observed that the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 6, which is of substantially greater thickness and hence more rigid than the side wall, is tapered to correspond with the taper of the side wall and is made of such diameter that as the bottom plate reaches a position near the lower end of the side wall a wedging action between the side wall and the edge of -the bottom wall occurs such as to exert great outward pressure on the side wall in the region which is surrounded by the bottom hoop 4. As a result, the lower end of the side wall is efiectually clamped between the hoop andthe outer edge of the bottom wall. The hoop 6, fitting snugly about the lower end of the tub, serves to prevent the relatively thin side wall from bulging outwardly at its lower end while the bottom is being forced into -position under pressure, so that notwithstanding the relatively weak character of the side wall, a tight seal is eifected without the use of glue or other sealing material. The hoop being made of substantial width with its lower, edge portion turned inwardly and upwardly around the lower end of the side wall constitutes an effectual reenforcing means for preventing the lower end of the tub from bulging outwardly as a result of the insertion of the bottom wall. It will be apparent, however, that as an incident to such application of the bottom wall with a wedging action a suflicient outward expansion of the lower end of the side wall occurs to cause the hoop to be held tightly in position.

I claim:

The method of making butter tubs and the like which comprises forming an annular tapering side wall section from thin fibrous material in sheet form, applying to said annular wall section a metallic hoop fitting snugly about the end thereof of smallest diameter, making a bottom wall section from a rigid plate of substantial thickness with a tapering outer edge surface conforming to the taper of the side section and of a diameter greater than the smallest diameter of said side wall section, inserting the bottom wall plate into the side wall section through the end thereof of largest diameter, and pressing the bottom plate forcibly into position within the region surrounded by said hoop so as to produce a powerful wedging action between the tapering surfaces of the bottom plate and the side wall section with the latter restrained against outward bulging by said hoop, thereby forming an extremely tight joint between the bottom and side walls of the tub.

REINHART J. BURHEN. 

